<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unscheduled Departures by GrimmsterJ</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28877073">Unscheduled Departures</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimmsterJ/pseuds/GrimmsterJ'>GrimmsterJ</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Grimm (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Diana Shenanigans, F/M, Hexenbiest Fight, Revenge, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:22:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28877073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimmsterJ/pseuds/GrimmsterJ</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean Renard is a man of means, determination, and a long memory. No one crosses him and gets away with it, not even Nick Burkhardt.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Burkhardt &amp; Diana Schade-Renard, Nick Burkhardt/Adalind Schade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unscheduled Departures</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Revenge is a dish, best served cold.</strong>
</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>"Captain!" Sean Renard hissed, disgusted. The monogrammed reminder plastered on his office door made him bristle every time it caught his eye.</p><p>
  <em>Captain Sean Renard. I was Mayor Sean Renard until that Grimm and his friends ruined everything.</em>
</p><p>He glared out his office window, across the bustling crowd of police officers, detectives, suspects, and witnesses, and his displeasure settled upon one. <em>Detective Nick Burkhardt. How is it that Adalind hasn't picked you some different clothes by now? Every day, it's the exact same black bomber jacket, brown Henley shirt, and bluejeans, isn't it?</em></p><p>The detective passed some papers across his worn metal desk to his partner. They sipped a cup of coffee, and laughed.</p><p>He gritted his teeth, scrawled his signature across a special request from the mayor, and thought, <em>And because of you, Nick,</em> <em>I'm stuck here, running a city police department. Again! I have to take orders from an idiot mayor. Again! I was the mayor. </em><em>I won that election. That position was mine. You threw it all away.</em></p><p>A skinny police sergeant ambled over to the two detectives, flapped an overflowing manilla folder against his hand, and tossed it on Nick's partner's worn desk. They laughed and sipped coffee before the sergeant ambled off again. Sean gritted his teeth and thought, <em>And how could I forget your accomplices, Sergeant Wu, and the illustrious Detective Hank Griffin?</em></p><p>He slid his oak desk drawer open, retrieved a white envelope, drummed his fingers against it, glanced through the blinds, and thought, <em>Well, Nick, you impersonated me, ran that shenanigan, and made a big show of resigning my Mayor's position on the Six O'Clock news. Turnabout is fair play, now isn't it?</em></p><p>He inspected the contents of the envelope, and thought to himself, <em>I've got to play this right. Ruin his life, and leave him groveling for my help... At a price. And once I'm done with you, Nick, I'll deal with </em><em>Hank, and Wu as well.</em></p><p>He glanced at the picture facing him on the desk, a tall, blonde haired girl, and smiled. <em>Diana, how could a daughter as wonderful as you possibly come from Adalind? </em></p><p>He glanced back out the window.<em> So, Nick, how do I ruin your life </em><em>just enough to make you miserable</em><em>, but not risk losing my Grimm</em><em>, or, God forbid, leave me stuck with Adalind. I can't stand being around her for more than a few minutes. I have no idea how you tolerate her. That crazy witch gives Hexenbiests a bad name!</em></p><p>He stared off into the bustle of the police department for a few minutes as a smile slowly crept across his lips.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Sean, stood in the middle of his modern, white kitchen in his blue satin boxer shorts, quirked his eyebrow at the green concoction simmering away in a stainless steel stock pot, and then at the dark haired Latina slowly stirring. He said, "Shouldn't we be doing this in a cauldron?"</p><p>"Why? Don't you trust me?"</p><p>"It's just... My mother..." He trailed off, wrinkled his brow as if about to speak, peered into the pot again, then held his mouth shut.</p><p>"Sean, you're the one who called me. If you don't want my help, I can leave."</p><p>"No, no... How long does it have?"</p><p>"All I need is his hair."</p><p>He slid the white envelope across the bar. She opened it, fished out a pinch of hair, and sprinkled it into the swirling pot. The greenish liquor turned viscous, shiny, and black, like inky mercury. Sean grimaced, and asked, "Is it supposed to do that?"</p><p>Her reflection stared back at her out of the jet black concoction, and fear flashed across her face. She slowly backed away, and said, "He's a Grimm, isn't he?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>She set the black, plastic spoon on a white plate, rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, stepped away from the seldom used stainless steel stove in his well appointed kitchen, and inched towards the hallway leading to his red front door.</p><p>"Roxanna?"</p><p>"You didn't tell me he was a Grimm! I don't like this Sean."</p><p>"Let me worry about The Grimm."</p><p>She fidgeted and rubbed her fingers across her neck, then said, "I... I just want to keep my head."</p><p>"Like I said, you will have my protection, so long as you follow my instructions."</p><p>"And my debt is paid after this?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>She paused, grimaced again, stared out the window at the trees swaying in the river gorge below, closed her eyes, and pinched her forefinger and thumb across the bridge of her nose.</p><p>"Roxanna?"</p><p>She looked away, silently staring out the window, then finally exhaled and straightened, faced him with a saccharine smile, and said, "Well, then, are you ready?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Remember, three deep breaths from the hat. No more."</p><p>She laid a black witch hat over the bubbling pot. The hat inflated, its point stood straight up, and a thin column of black smoke started streaming out. Sean put his mouth over the hole in the tip and sucked in three deep breaths, then waited.</p><p>A few seconds later, he screamed and jerked as pain washed over him. He convulsed, and his chest and shoulders shrunk, his chiseled muscles reduced, and a coat of black chest hair sprouted from his smooth, shaven body. The old bullet wounds in his chest disappeared and numerous scars and bite marks sprung out, dotting his body. His legs and arms shrunk, his face changed, and a short scruff of black facial hair appeared. He finally finished transforming into Nick, rubbed his eyes and said, "Roxanna, wogue and tell me if It worked?"</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Roxanna stood in the shade under a wide Pacific Madrone tree, wearing a low cut, light blue top, a shapely, black skirt, a gauzy, wide brimmed hat, and bright red lipstick. She waited beside the glass door marking the entrance to the Anyday Bistro while a soft breeze caressed her straight hair. She asked, "Sean, are you sure this is OK?"</p><p>Nick, wearing a black bomber jacket, blue jeans, and a Henley shirt, glanced across the street, at the white Berman, Rautbort, and Associates law offices high rise, swung the cafe door open, and said, "It's fine, and remember, call me Nick."</p><p>"It's just so creepy, I've never seen a real Grimm before."</p><p>He winked playfully, and said, "I'm not a Grimm, I just play one on TV. Now remember, put on a good show."</p><p>Her smile lit the place as she walked into the bustling restaurant, swaying her hips past the brown leather booths and oak tables. Every man in the place turned and watched, while every woman scowled as she strutted past. He escorted her to the booth and slid in next to her.</p><p>She cupped her hand over his, turned towards him, and smiled. He smiled as the stares of several lawyers from the law firm burned holes into him.</p><p>They shared a bottle of wine and split a cedar plank salmon dinner with grilled asparagus, a Cesar salad, and finally slice of cheese cake with blueberry compote. He put on the charm, and told funny stories, while she touched her hair and lips, smiled and laughed.</p><p>Afterwards, he took her hand and escorted her out, pecking a small kiss on her cheek before they walked out the door.</p><p>He rushed to the black Cadillac SUV, clambered into the passenger's seat, grimaced, and started tearing his clothes off.</p><p>"Now Nick or Sean, or whatever, this wasn't part of the agreement!"</p><p>"Now!" Sean yelled, hyperventilating, "Hurry up and get in! Arrrgh! The Zaubertrank is wearing off, and Nick's clothes are so... Tiny! It's amazing that a Grimm can be this small."</p><p>A crackling noise echoed inside the car. His arms and legs extended and his biceps swelled. His shoulders stretched wider, chiseled pectoral muscles expanded, and the coat of black chest hair evaporated into his bronze skin. Numerous knife, claw, and bite scars dotting his body dissipated, replaced by the three bullet hole scars on his chest and mirrored on his back. Finally, his face transformed from the scruffy, black haired detective to that of his own carefully manicured self.</p><p>He sat in the passenger's seat, hyperventilating, gripping his head, wiping sweat off his muscular chest, and finally, the tears out of his eyes. He said, "That was close! Wow, that hurts. Do you mind driving me home. I'm going to need to sleep this off. I'll need you again on Friday evening, for another Verfluchte Zwillingsschwester and dinner."</p><p>"Of course!"</p><p>She pressed her finger into the start button of his big SUV, and drove off.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>The next day, he watched, through his office blinds, as Nick walked in and talked to his partner, Hank. He smirked and thought, <em>Is it just me, or does he have a little less spring in his step? Time for the next step.</em></p><p>He pushed his oak trimmed glass door open, ambled up to Nick's greenish metal desk, noticed red eyes, and said, "Nick, Do you have a minute, I need to talk with you in my office."</p><p>Once inside his spartan office, he motioned Nick to a metal folding chair and said, "Nick, please close the door. Our department is involved with an extremely high priority undercover investigation with The Feds, and I need you on it. All I ask is that you keep me in the loop."</p><p>"When does it start?"</p><p>"Thursday."</p><p>"As in the day after tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Nick looked away, ran a hand through his short, black hair, and said, "I don't really want to be away from Adalind right now. She's due in a month and a half."</p><p>"Nick, the FBI agents running the operation specifically asked for you. You've earned a reputation with them. I can tell them you can't do it now, because of family commitments, but I don't need to tell you that turning down opportunities like this closes a lot of doors in the future, both for yourself, and for our precinct."</p><p>Nick looked at the white Linoleum floor, sighed, and stared out the window into the crowd of police officers outside the captain's office, before slowly answering, "Yes, I understand. I'll do it."</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Friday evening, Sean and Roxanna repeated the performance at Le Petite Boef in The Pearl. He made a point of putting his hand on her soft hand, rubbing her back when they talked, touching her hair, and putting his arm around the dark skinned woman's slim waist.</p><p>He smiled at her, decked out in a bright red dress and a pearl necklace. The grin on his face reflected his satisfaction, first, with their exquisite tournedos Rossini, pommes Anna, and creme brûlée, second, the look on Harrison Berman's face when he, and the gaggle of beautiful young lawyers surrounding him, noticed Roxanna peck a kiss on his cheek, and especially with his anticipation of the coming Act Three.</p><p>The following Tuesday, Sean once again "Smoked the Hat" and transformed into Nick. Roxanna dropped him off around the corner from an old paint factory beside an abandoned industrial park on the outskirts of Portland.</p><p>He hurried past a broken TV set, a smashed toaster oven, a pockmarked metal shed with three pencils stabbed halfway through the siding, and a "World's Best Mom" coffee mug laying shattered at its base.</p><p>He typed the code into a hidden keypad, sauntered into the garage, and passed a half-empty pallet of peroxide jugs. He paused, quirking his brow towards its twin, a half-used pallet of bleach jugs stacked against the wall, and six mops hanging nearby, before shrugging and stepping into the service elevator. He rode up to the tidy, stainless steel kitchen on the second floor of the Burkhardt family home.</p><p>He ambled past a stainless island with one crunched corner and three sides full of dents shaped like soup cans, and passed the pregnant, blonde haired woman scribbling notes in a stack of legal paperwork. She looked up and said, "Back from your 'Undercover assignment' so soon?"</p><p>"I can't talk about it Adalind, I just stopped by to get my clothes."</p><p>She stood up and grimaced, rubbing her swollen belly through white fleece pants and a matching long sleeve shirt. She scooped up a handful of paperwork, her purse, and said, "Since you're home, I need to run these over to Berman, and then pick up milk and formula. We're out. Help Diana with her math and creative writing assignments till I get back."</p><p>She leaned in for a kiss, put her hand on his chest, then paused, wrinkled her nose, and scowled. Her eyes welled up and turned red. She looked away and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and lips. She looked at him, crestfallen, and said, "Nick? Really?"</p><p>"Adalind, you know I can't talk about this. I've got to leave for this assignment as soon as you get back, so please, hurry."</p><p>She looked at the floor, wiped her eyes, and took the service elevator down to her car.</p><p>He waited for Adalind to leave, let a ghost of a smirk cross his lips, and thought, <em>Roxanna's perfume is quite distinctive.</em></p><p>He turned towards his daughter, Diana, and proudly reflected, <em>She's five years old and working on 3rd grade assignments while Nick's son, barely nine months younger, is just, well, normal.</em></p><p>He found the bedroom and raided Nick's clothes, clearing whole stacks of shirts, pants, and underwear into a large, black duffel. He smirked, fished a pair of lacy g-string panties out of his pocket, tossed them on the floor, and rumpled the bed covers.</p><p>He was in the middle of stuffing Nick's socks into the bag when his daughter's grumping, groaning, and sniffing echoed into the bedroom. He sighed and walked back out to her.</p><p>"Diana, how are you doing on your assignments?"</p><p>"I don't understand, what is the significance of Paddington's hat?"</p><p>"The significance of Paddington's hat?"</p><p>She sighed and leaned heavily on her palm, allowing her straight, blonde hair to fall across her left cheek and drape over one blue eye. The ends of her hair brushed across a sheet of lined notebook paper and a glittery pencil, and she said, "I have to write two paragraphs explaining the meaning and significance of Paddington's hat."</p><p>He scratched his short, black hair, and said, "Does it say anything about his hat?"</p><p>"Just that he always keeps marmalade sandwiches in it. Then, I have to write three sentences for each of these vocabulary words: emigrated, denigrate, menacingly, distinctly, battered, crestfallen, queuing, dubiously, nuisance, festooned"</p><p>"Diana, you just have to do it, now focus and work through it."</p><p>"But Nick, I just don't understand. I can't write three sentences for festooned or queuing. It's too confusing."</p><p>"Well, just write something."</p><p>"Ms. Allison says I can't just write anything."</p><p>"Look, I'm very busy. You'll just have to focus and work harder."</p><p>The blonde haired girl gritted her teeth and stared at her assignment. She rolled around in the chair and laid her head on the table, then stood up and looked out the window.</p><p>He walked back out of the bedroom, looked at the wall clock, and said, "Have you finished yet?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"How many do you have left?"</p><p>"All of them."</p><p>"You haven't done any? That's unacceptable. Go sit down and start writing."</p><p>She stood at the window. Her brother, Kelly, climbed up into her chair, picked up her pencil, and stabbed the point into her paper, breaking it off.</p><p>She ran over, yelled, "Kelly! No!" and shoved him down. Her brother pushed up off the floor and started crying.</p><p>He glared at her, arms crossed, and said, "Diana! Now look at what you've done. Go work on your assignments! Now!"</p><p>"But Kelly broke my pencil!"</p><p>"No! No excuses! You should have been finished already!"</p><p>Her pencil and glass started rattling on the table.</p><p>"Young lady, control yourself and focus! You should already be done with this assignment. Now, I'm very busy. I need to leave as soon as your mother returns."</p><p>She stared at him, standing there with his hands on his hips, sighed, and sat down. Her pencil flew across the room, bounced off the pencil sharpener, and clattered across the floor.</p><p>"Diana! What are you doing? You know you are not allowed to use your powers like that. Go get your pencil, and get to it."</p><p>He turned back around and her pencil was already in her hand. "Diana! I said no using your powers like that! Get up now and do it normally!"</p><p>"Nick!" she whined.</p><p>He stomped over, grabbed her by the arm, hauled her to her feet, pushed her towards the pencil sharpener, and said, "I said now! No powers, just go sharpen your pencil the normal way."</p><p>She trudged over, stuffed her pencil into the hole, slowly turned the crank, checked the point, and stomped back, then flopped into her chair and stared at the assignment.</p><p>He paced back through the kitchen, glanced at the clock, then barked, "Have you finished yet?"</p><p>Diana's head popped up, eyes wet with tears, and her pencil went zooming off the table, flew across the room, and stabbed into the wall in front of him.</p><p>He gritted his teeth, and said, "Enough, you know we've talked about controlling your powers too many times."</p><p>A cup whizzed past his head and a flying stuffed animal exploded, washing a shower of crackling purple fire and sparks over his body. Shocked, he snarled, swung his open hand, and slapped her across the mouth. Her head jerked back and she fell to the floor as the crack echoed through the house.</p><p>She screamed and rubbed her cheek as blood dripped from her broken lip, and started sobbing. Kelly instantly stopped what he was doing and ran over to help his sister.</p><p>The stainless steel kitchen island, children's beanbag chairs, and the brown wood kitchen barstools lifted off the ground, swirled half a turn, flashed across the room, and pinned him against the concrete wall.</p><p>He instinctively twisted his head to transform himself into his Zauberbiest form. Instead, numbness and rage consumed him, a giant burst of adrenaline coursed through his system, and the world around him slowed to a crawl. He braced his back against the wall and threw the pile off of himself, stepped forward, pointed his finger, and hissed, "Diana! Young lady, control yourself! I said stop! Right now!"</p><p>She gritted her teeth and swung her hands around her head. The furniture screeched backwards, lifted off and swirled, following her hands, while the kitchen cabinets emptied, enveloping him into a hurricane pelting him with an endless flood of dried spaghetti noodles, rice, canned soup, and crackling purple lightning.</p><p>He leaned in and waded through the storm, completely numb to the onslaught of cans, bottles, and books slamming his body. He stomped towards her, jerked her off her feet, slapped her again, and yelled, "Control yourself!"</p><p>She pushed off the floor and cried. She shook, screamed, flashed her eyes fiery purple, planted her feet, and made a pushing motion. He gripped into her arm with all his strength as his feet lifted off the ground, while corn flakes, cheerios, forks, knives, and spoons pelted him out of the storm. He raised his hand to slap again and swung it, but it bounced, an inch from her face, off some invisible barrier, and ricocheted back against him.</p><p>The ozone scented air around him crackled and sizzled while the storm flowed around Diana, leaving her untouched. Swarms of purple sparks washed over him as he flapped like a flag, with his fingers dug deep into her forearm. She clenched her other fist and twisted it into the air. An invisible force wrenched his slate gray fingers loose. She slung her hand as if flinging a stuffed animal and he flew, cartwheeling and careening, across the room, smashing chips out of the concrete ceiling and columns as the tornado swept him up.</p><p>"Diana! This is unacceptable! Put me down this instant!"</p><p>He grabbed a chair and swung it at her, but caught the coffee table, smashing it to splinters as it careened towards him an instant before the stove, refrigerator, and couch slammed him into the north wall.</p><p>He stared out through a gap between the refrigerator and stove. He gritted his teeth, pounded and smashed his way free, and stormed towards Diana, lowering his shoulder and marching straight into the melee.</p><p>"Diana! That's it! You're grounded! No more using your powers!"</p><p>The entire wave of kitchen appliances and living room furniture sloshed back, screeching across the concrete floor, Diana's eyes flashed purple, she screamed, "I hate you!" and shoved her hands.</p><p>The contents of the kitchen and living room violently sloshed, rolled, and blew his body through the concrete wall. He shot, like a champagne cork, across the parking lot. He swung his legs and arms as if swimming and clambering through piles of household goods washing through the air, finally smashing into the top of a lamp post while the tidal wave of house furnishings, food, and appliances flowed over and over and over him.</p><p>The hurricane subsided and he saw the broken arm of a street lamp sticking out of his chest. His arms and hands were slate gray, and he still felt nothing. He thought, <em>What in the world just happened? Did Diana do all this? How am I still alive? Why am I gray? Can Nick wogue? I've got to get down from here before Adalind comes home and figures it out.</em></p><p>Still numb, but fully aware, he grasped towards the end of the broken steel fixture, wrenching himself up the angled pole, inch by inch but his sticky hands kept slipping off the smooth metal. He found himself stuck, pinned to the top of a wooden lamp post, looking down into the middle of a plume of kids toys, office supplies, broken chairs and tables, shattered food boxes, a smashed refrigerator, and half an oven. He gaped at the ragged hole in the 2nd floor concrete wall a little over a quarter of a mile away.</p><p>He gritted his teeth, dragged and clawed himself to within an inch of the end of the broken lamp, when Diana's screaming and crying erupted inside the house.</p><p>Another flood of purple lightning, fire, clothing, canned food, welcome mats, and a washing machine vomited out of the hole in the house and crashed over him. The microwave oven slammed, shish kebabing itself onto the broken lamp arm, crushing him backwards against the wooden pole, while lightning sparkled and crackled over him and into the pole. He gritted his teeth and pushed with all his might. The broken appliance bent and twisted around the pole, but the now-welded metal would not loosen, locking him into its steel grip.</p><p>His black SUV coasted into the drive and stopped short, twenty feet below him. Roxanna jumped out and stared up. Every drop of color drained out of her brown skin, and she started fumbling in her purse.</p><p>He yelled with a hoarse voice, "Roxanna! You have to leave!"</p><p>She shook her head side to side, craned, and said, "I can't hear you!"</p><p>He waved her away, flapping his arms, and said, "Go! You have to go before she gets home."</p><p>"What? I'm calling the police! We have to get you down and to the hospital."</p><p>"No! Go now!"</p><p>A large white SUV rolled into the driveway and sped in behind the black SUV, boxing it in. Adalind jumped out, revealing red eyes and mascara trails running down her cheeks, staining her white shirt. She marched up to Roxanna, and hissed, "You! What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Isn't it obvious what l'm here for! Him!"</p><p>"I'm going to kill you!"</p><p>"As if you could!"</p><p>Roxanna twisted her head and transformed into a mummified witch corpse. The Hexenbiest snarled and slashed black claws at Adaind.</p><p>Adalind twisted her hand and Roxanna's foot slid on spaghetti noodles and rice, causing her jagged nails to miss their mark, barely grazing Adalind's hair.</p><p>Adalind flashed her eyes matte gray and waved her hand, flinging the broken washing machine door off the ground into Roxanna's back. She jerked the other hand and the children's clothing, rice, and noodles under Roxanna's feet slid left, throwing her onto the asphalt driveway.</p><p>Roxanna jumped up, ground her bony jaws, and flung a can of peas and a long kitchen knife, both of which swerved around Adalind's blonde hair, and clattered, denting the hood of Sean's car and smashing its windshield.</p><p>Adalind marched towards Roxanna, grasping into the air and making throwing motions. A swarm of food cans and broken appliance parts flew up behind her, and shot at Roxanna.</p><p>Roxanna swung her leathery hands, telekinetically deflecting cans, broken parts, rocks, and sticks, but a pebble snuck past and smacked her mummified chest, then another and a stick, then a flock of cans, bottles, and appliance parts. Overwhelmed by Adalind's relentless flood, items landed blow after blow, pummeling the witch corpse's head and chest.</p><p>"You think you can come to my house, after my fiancee, and I won't have anything to say?"</p><p>"He's done with you! He's mine now, and there's nothing you can do about it!"</p><p>Adalind gritted her teeth and twisted her head, transforming into a mummified witch corpse. She scraped her curled, leathery hands through the air. The sand on the pavement bounced and squirmed, like infinite beige streams of ants swarming from holes and cracks in the asphalt, and marched towards Roxanna.</p><p>Roxanna snarled, ground her exposed jaws, and flung more parts and cans at Adalind, but they likewise swerved around her and clattered, bashing dents and gashes into Sean's black SUV, while grains of sand started bouncing onto her feet.</p><p>The marching sand coalesced into snakes and worms, slithering up Roxanna's leathery legs, and worming into her eye sockets, ears, nose, and mouth. She clawed, flinging clumps of sand out of her mouth and eyes, but it kept crawling into her. Her chest swelled and her flat belly disdended, stretching and finally tearing her red dress.</p><p>Roxanna tried to cover her eyes and mouth but the sand passed through her fingers in its endless siege, until she finally collapsed, and retracted into her human form, bloated and heavy as the streams of sand hissed, and grew into a pile, completely burying her.</p><p>Sean, grunting and straining to free himself from the jaws of his steel trap, watched the scene unfold in front of him. <em>He thought, Is Adalind actually doing that? This can't be good! What's happened to her? She's never been able to focus or control her powers, this... Instinctively.</em></p><p>Adalind spat on the heap of sand, and now turned her her eyes towards him, still hanging on the post, and hissed, "You! Why did she arrive in Sean's car?</p><p>"Adalind! You don't understand!"</p><p>"Oh, I understand just fine... Sean!"</p><p>A silver 1980's Toyota Landcruiser lumbered into the driveway. The black haired detective, wearing a black bomber jacket, brown Henly shirt, and bluejeans, the mirror image of himself hanging on the post, climbed out and surveyed the scene, marched up next to Adalind and put his arm around her waist.</p><p>Adalind smelled Nick, transformed back into the blonde haired, pregnant woman, and kissed him. She started crying, caressing her fingers through his hair, wrapped her arms tightly around him and laid her head on his shoulder.</p><p>Nick carefully wiped the makeup and tears out of her eyes, ran a hand through her blonde hair, brushing it out of her face, and kissed her. He pointed up, at the lamp post and asked, "Adalind? Is that...?"</p><p>She cursed Sean, and screamed, "Sean! How could you!"</p><p>Sean said, "You ruined my life! You stuck me back in that police job, babysitting cops and taking orders for that idiot Mayor! I was The Mayor! I earned it, and I won that election! And what are you doing to my daughter!"</p><p>"I'm raising her right, Sean!"</p><p>"Right?" He flopped his hands on the metal post, and yelled, "You call my own daughter blasting me through a concrete wall and impaling me on a lamp post 'raising her right?'"</p><p>"It's not like you're any help! Do you have any idea of what it's like to have a daughter with this much power? We're doing everything we can."</p><p>"And you've got a Grimm raising a Hexenbiest? How can you even be with a Grimm? You of all people! You know this, whatever you call it, will never work."</p><p>"Oh, so now you forget about the arrangement? I have a family, here, with Nick, so you can keep your Grimm!"</p><p>"Impaling me on a lamp post wasn't part of it! You're a Hexenbiest, and you'll always be a witch. Do you think Nick could ever really love you?"</p><p>She flung a can of soup. It bounced off his legs and fell, clattering and splitting, splattering beef vegetable soup on the blacktop under the lamp post.</p><p>She screamed, "What do you know about love? You've never loved anyone but yourself!"</p><p>"So you're just teaching my daughter to kill people? What? It's supposed to be ok for her to impale her father on a lamp post? Did you coach her to do this to me?"</p><p>"Seriously? Sean! You used a Verfluchte Zwillingsschwester to disguise yourself as Nick, and this is somehow supposed to be my fault?"</p><p>He surveyed the fenced parking lot turned asphalt paved yard, and noticed five other broken lamp posts, streaked with shiny brown. "How many times have you let her do this?"</p><p>"Let her? Seriously? You want to have this conversation now? You're impaled on a lamp post."</p><p>"What? And that's supposed to matter? You'll be hearing from my lawyer about Diana's custody...". He trailed off as pain ripped through his body. He grimaced, shook, and writhed, as his body transformed back into Sean Renard's normal six foot five inch, muscular frame.</p><p>The numbness disappeared and pain ripped through every inch of his body the instant the gray color dissipated. The scent of cement filled his nostrils. He suddenly realized he couldn't feel his legs. Bright red, frothy blood started spitting out of his mouth, and intense thirst consumed him. He gasped, "Hey! I need a drink! Get me down!"</p><p>"Oh, I'll get you down all right!" She gritted her teeth, twisted her head, and transformed back into an ancient witch corpse. She ground bony teeth, squinted shriveled eyes, and twisted her wrist.</p><p>Sean gasped for breath and coughed blood as his heart and lungs squeezed and twisted within his chest.</p><p>She clenched her fist and yanked. His body jerked downwards, his legs drew up, and his eyes bulged as two ribs cracked and pain roared inside him.</p><p>Adalind clenched her fist, twisted, and jerked again, sending a fresh shock of pain ripping through him, then pointed her finger up at Sean, and said, "Our arrangement is over! We're leaving!"</p><p>Nick rubbed across the witch corpse's back, put his hand on hers, kissed her on the neck, and said, "Sweetie, let me handle this. Can you check on Diana and Kelly?"</p><p>The ancient witch corpse transformed back into her blonde haired human form, kissed Nick, and marched back towards the house.</p><p>He gasped, and yelled, "Nick, get me down!"</p><p>Nick shrugged, pulled his gun, and pointed it up at him.</p><p>He yelled, "Wait! Nick! No!"</p><p>The gun flashed five times and five heavy blows slammed through his body. His eyes went out of focus and the world turned black.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>Sean's body convulsed from a crushing impact that felt like his soul bouncing as it slammed back into his body, and it sent him gasping for air. Bright light seared his eyes, and a splitting headache sent his eyes in and out of focus. He rolled onto his side, drew his knees into his chest, and contorted his face as the scent of cement dust filled his nostrils.</p><p>He jerked and clawed his hands at his chest, but he only found soft sheets, his pillow, and his own skin, albeit quite tender in the middle of his solar plexus.</p><p>His eyes slowly focused on a blackish blur next to two purple lights. A young girl's voice asked, "Dad, is my father going to be ok?"</p><p>He grimaced, and thought, <em>Since when did she call Nick Dad? She's never done this in front of me.</em></p><p>His eyes focused on Nick's angry face and he realized,<em> It's time for damage control.</em></p><p>Nick said, "I think he's going to be ok. You need to be more careful of your feelings and controlling your powers. I know it's hard when you get frustrated and angry, but that's when it's most important."</p><p>The fog in his brain cleared. Diana took Nick's hand, and said, "Dad, I'm sorry I blew up our house again."</p><p>"Honey, you should tell your father you are sorry for killing him like that."</p><p>"But Dad! He wasn't dead until you shot him."</p><p>"Diana, we've talked about this."</p><p>Nick's words soaked in and he suddenly wondered, <em>What does he mean, 'We've talked about this?' How many times has Nick shot people that Diana hung on lamp posts, before me?</em></p><p>"But Dad!"</p><p>Nick rolled his eyes, tilted his head towards her, and laid a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Ok," she said as she laid her small hand on his chest and flashed her eyes purple. "I'm sorry I hung you on the lamp post, and killed you."</p><p>Warmth and calm filled him. His brain see-sawed from the power of her witching, and his mind went completely blank.</p><p>He yanked the covers up around his chest, paused, scratched his head, and thought, <em>What's she talking about?</em></p><p>He said, "Hung me on a lamp post? Nick? Adalind? Diana? What are you doing in my house? Diana? What happened to your face, did someone hit you? And who is that woman on the floor?"</p><p>Nick tilted his head at Diana, nudged her with his elbow, and gently said, "Diana, maybe a little too much?"</p><p>"Sorry, Dad."</p><p>His daughter put her hand on him, and flashed her eyes purple. Calm washed over him as the fog in his brain started to clear. All the events of the previous month flooded through his vision. He gasped, jerked straight up in the bed, clawed at his chest, looked around the room, hyperventilating, and stared. He patted across his chest, trying to locate the steel post, and finally said, "There was a post stuck through my chest. Was I.. Dead?"</p><p>"Sorry, father."</p><p>"Diana? Did you...? You can't witch a Zauberbiest, can you?"</p><p>She simply shrugged.</p><p>He groaned from the throbbing in his chest, and said, "Diana, I'm sorry I yelled at you and slapped you."</p><p>Adalind walked in with a hand on her swollen belly, took Diana's hand, and said, "Honey, let's take care of your lip and eye."</p><p>She focused her eyes and flashed them gray, then gently rubbed over Diana's face. The bruises on her eyes dissipated, the cuts on her lips disappeared, and the purple welts cleared. "Better now honey?"</p><p>"Thanks, Mom."</p><p>Nick gritted his teeth. Small sparks and fingers of electricity sparkled and flashed up and down the ancient wooden staff in his hand, and then skittered across the floor. He said, "Sean, mess with my family again and I'll revive you just so I can kill you.."</p><p>His brain felt foggy. He realized his daughter's warm hand now laid on his. He heard himself say, "I'm sorry, Nick, I didn't realize the difficulty you and Adalind have been having with Diana's temper and powers. You should have told me."</p><p>Electricity sparkled and crackled from the staff, as the sparks stretched closer and closer to Sean. Nick flashed solid gray with red eyes sunken deep into his skull, and every word hissed through his teeth.</p><p>Sean pushed and slid himself away from the electricity arcing up and skittering across his satin sheets and covers.</p><p>Diana took Nick's hand, said, "Dad, please don't kill my father. He won't do it again," and flashed her eyes fiery purple.</p><p>Nick's red eyes started turning glassy as Diana continued focusing her powers. The sparks slowed, and finally stopped flowing from the staff. Color returned to his body and he exhaled. He turned towards the bloated, battered woman, in a red dress, laying dead on Sean's bedroom floor, and said, "Adalind, do you mind getting the sand back out so we can get started on Renard's friend?"</p><p>Adalind gritted her teeth, stomped across the room, and hissed, "Just leave her dead."</p><p>Sean heard himself say, "Adalind, it's my fault. She was just doing what I paid her to do. She never went after Nick."</p><p>Adalind crossed her arms, grumped, glared, then finally said, "Ok, fine. Diana, can you help me deal with... This?"</p><p>"Ok, Mom."</p><p>Adalind transformed into an ancient witch corpse. Diana flashed her eyes and they motioned their hands. Streams of red sand oozing pink fluid started slithering and squirming out of the woman's eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, as it wormed into wet piles the floor. Her body deflated as the slimy piles grew, and spread.</p><p>Adalind nodded at Nick, who returned the nod. He laid the staff against Roxanna's temple, relaxed and squinted his eyes. A sunbeam streamed in the window onto her body. Her eyes fluttered, she coughed and raked at her mouth and nose, patted her eyes, grabbed her head, cringed, drew her knees into her chest, coughed, and rolled onto her side. She recognized Adalind, gasped, tried to push away and wogue, but convulsed, jerked from a seizure, and fell limp.</p><p>Sean glanced at Roxanna, rubbed his temple, and said, "Is she alive?"</p><p>Nick shrugged, and said, "Yes. She won't be able to wogue for a month or two. You won't either."</p><p>His eyes locked onto his daughter's small fingers twining into Nick's hand.</p><p>Nick did something with the staff that melted his alarm clock and Adalind threw the pair of panties at his chest. Their voices buzzed as he stared at Diana's fingers, wrapping into Nick's, while her voice stabbed through him, over and over.</p><p><em>Dad. </em><em>My daughter calls him,</em> '<em>Dad.'</em></p><p>He grimaced, and said, "Diana, I'm sorry," but she turned her back to him and walked, hand in hand, with Nick, while Adalind rubbed her belly, then gripped Nick's other hand on the way out the door.</p><p>-/-/-/-/-/-/-</p><p>A sneeze welled up within Sean, and exploded into his monogrammed silk handkerchief. He looked down at the gritty, gray mess dotted with pinpricks of red. The acrid scent of cement dust filled his sinuses and the metallic, woody flavor of pressure treated timber washed through his mouth. He swirled a snifter of brandy, gulped down a mouthful to kill the taste, and grimaced.</p><p>Diana looked up from cutting lettuce and tomatoes, and said, "Father, I'm sorry I got so upset. I didn't mean to hurt you like that."</p><p>He tousled her hair, and said, "Well, I'm ok now honey, but you hurt me very badly. We need to keep working on controlling your emotions."</p><p>"I know. Mom and Nick are trying to help me too. It's just... Hard... Sometimes."</p><p>"Have you ever hurt Nick or your mother like that?"</p><p>She looked down, then away, and slowly said, "I didn't mean to."</p><p>"More than once?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Oh. How many times?"</p><p>"I don't know, a lot."</p><p>"More than ten times?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"More than fifty?"</p><p>She paused and thought, then looked down and sheepishly said, "Yes."</p><p>He paused to ponder her response, then thought, <em>And that's why she'll never live with me. Once was enough.</em></p><p>"So, honey, do you like your new house?"</p><p>"Yes! I love having my very own room again."</p><p>"Good, I'm glad you like it. Honey, I have a question."</p><p>"Yes, father."</p><p>"Diana, did you use your powers to make me buy your mother and Nick the house?"</p><p>She stopped slicing cucumbers, stared down at the granite countertop, and sheepishly said, "Yes."</p><p>"Diana, you should let me make those decisions. Houses are very expensive, and we don't normally give them as gifts."</p><p>"But Mom and Nick were going to leave... And... I wanted to see you."</p><p>He sighed, then tousled her hair, and thought, <em>I guess it seems to have smoothed things over with her mother and Nick, and they're busy with their new baby now. The less I have to deal with her mother, the better. All told, I suppose it was a small price to pay.</em></p><p>Diana sliced a baguette in half and brushed garlic butter over it. She winced her eyes at the garlic bread and the top started bubbling and browning, right there on the counter top.</p><p>He rubbed the center of his chest, and thought, <em>Letting them raise her is revenge enough.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You know, there are a lot of times I'm glad Diana isn't my kid...</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>